Product! Product! Product!
Sale! Sale! Sale!
Look how great we are!
That’s how a lot of companies position themselves in front of customers.
And how do customers respond?
They buy. For a while. Until some better offer comes along.
Why? Because who cares?
The only connection those customers have is the price of a product and maybe a few features and benefits. That’s it.
And it’s fleeting.
For centuries, companies have struggled with the L word: Loyalty.
How do you get customers to keep coming back? And how do you get those repeat customers to bring friends?
Let’s jump on the Star Wars bandwagon for a moment here. Yeah, I know, it’s an easy out right now, a convenient play, but bear with me a minute.
Why is Star Wars so popular?
I’m old enough that I watched the original (now called A New Hope) in the theater when it came out in 1977. Granted, I was only in second grade, but I still remember it like it was last week (which is when I took my 7-year-old son to see The Force Awakens – how cool is that?). If you’ve seen the original, you probably remember the opening scene, right after the yellow letters go scrolling off into space.
It starts with the small rebel ship dashing forward from behind you and red laser blasts coming from off screen. As the small frigate races away, it is replaced by a low rumble, followed by the nose of an Imperial Star Destroyer in pursuit coming over the top of the screen. The massive ship slowly fills the screen with its enormity until its girth extends beyond the edges, finishing with the giant blue engines.
What a way to open a movie!
But even more impressive is what comes next.
George Lucas takes us immediately from outer space into the interior of the rebel ship, where we meet two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, and are introduced to human characters that happen to be made of metal.
Why has Star Wars been so successful?
It’s all about the characters. We cared about Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, the droids, and everyone else. It mattered to us when Darth Vader announced he was Luke’s father (Noooo…!). We cried when Yoda died. We hated the Emperor and cheered when Darth Vader killed him. The Millennium Falcon is a hero’s ship.
Star Wars was originally all about connections – between the characters and each other and between the characters and us.
Now think about Episodes I, II, and, III (if you can bear it). Instead of stories about characters we loved that just happened to take place in outer space with special effects, the prequels were stories about special effects that happened to have some characters, but who really cared about them? (Think Jar Jar Binks – and shudder!)
What does any of this have to do with content marketing?
Moviegoers also consume other goods and services (not just popcorn), including ones you offer.
You want to connect with them the same way good movies connect with viewers.
How do you tell your brand’s story?
How do you get consumers to connect with your brand in a way that they can’t help but come back time and time again?
I had the pleasure of attending Content Marketing World the past two years. Every year, the expo wraps up with a keynote speaker. Last year it was Kevin Spacey.
Now, if you’re at all like me, you’re probably asking yourself, “What in the world would Kevin Spacey know about content marketing? He’s an actor!”
I thought that, too.
So I was thoroughly – and happily – surprised when he took 45 minutes and showed us how content marketing is really all about storytelling, communicating your brand message to customers in a way they can relate and connect.
(BTW, if you have a chance to attend CMWorld, do it! Campaign, beg, cry, wash cars, do whatever you have to do. It’s worth it!)
While I can’t recreate Spacey’s speech, here are three of his key points as derived from his long tenure as an actor and director and mostly recently as a main character and producer of the Netflix original series House of Cards.
Understanding storytelling and audience connection will help your company increase customer loyalty and turn your customers into brand advocates.
Being Content with Content Marketing 